Granite County airport board weighs beacon, camera outages and manager vacancy; forms subcommittee to explore alternatives
January 26, 2026 | Granite County , Montana
This article was created by AI summarizing key points discussed. AI makes mistakes, so for full details and context, please refer to the video of the full meeting. Please report any errors so we can fix them. Report an error »
Board members spent substantial time on operational matters at Riddick Field, focusing on a potentially damaged airport beacon, camera outages in hanger No. 11 and the practical duties required of an airport manager.
Members warned that losing power to the beacon could permit condensation and damage to costly electronics. One member urged investigating a workaround to keep the beacon’s heater powered: “there is a heater that keeps the electronics warm and dry... if there's no power to it, there may be condensation,” a board member said, and Benton was asked to investigate whether the heater can be kept powered or bypassed.
The group also discussed the surveillance cameras at hanger 11 after a reported power failure. The chair reported a one-time purchase price of about $4,000 for the system and estimated ongoing network costs at roughly $3,000 a year; board members debated maintenance cost versus operational value given a small airport budget.
On staffing, members emphasized the need for a job description and reliable on-call coverage for near-term tasks such as snow plowing, resetting cameras and runway clearance decisions. Andrew Caldwell volunteered to draft a one-page plan and to form a small subcommittee to explore less controversial AIP options and runway improvement possibilities.
The board also discussed pausing a DNRC land-use application while bigger questions about the Airport Improvement Program and community concerns are resolved. A member said the application could be resumed in roughly three to four months if questions are answered; the board decided to form the subcommittee and to return with recommendations before the next meeting.
Next steps: Benton was asked to look into beacon power/heater options; Andrew will draft a job description and the subcommittee’s one-pager; the board deferred long-term decisions to a future meeting and recommended coordination with the appointed airport manager when in place.
Attributions in this article are limited to speakers who identified themselves in the meeting and reflected the meeting transcript.
Members warned that losing power to the beacon could permit condensation and damage to costly electronics. One member urged investigating a workaround to keep the beacon’s heater powered: “there is a heater that keeps the electronics warm and dry... if there's no power to it, there may be condensation,” a board member said, and Benton was asked to investigate whether the heater can be kept powered or bypassed.
The group also discussed the surveillance cameras at hanger 11 after a reported power failure. The chair reported a one-time purchase price of about $4,000 for the system and estimated ongoing network costs at roughly $3,000 a year; board members debated maintenance cost versus operational value given a small airport budget.
On staffing, members emphasized the need for a job description and reliable on-call coverage for near-term tasks such as snow plowing, resetting cameras and runway clearance decisions. Andrew Caldwell volunteered to draft a one-page plan and to form a small subcommittee to explore less controversial AIP options and runway improvement possibilities.
The board also discussed pausing a DNRC land-use application while bigger questions about the Airport Improvement Program and community concerns are resolved. A member said the application could be resumed in roughly three to four months if questions are answered; the board decided to form the subcommittee and to return with recommendations before the next meeting.
Next steps: Benton was asked to look into beacon power/heater options; Andrew will draft a job description and the subcommittee’s one-pager; the board deferred long-term decisions to a future meeting and recommended coordination with the appointed airport manager when in place.
Attributions in this article are limited to speakers who identified themselves in the meeting and reflected the meeting transcript.
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